The Sun. — London, England, 1826-05-06 00:00:00

IMPERIAL , PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, FRIDAY, MAY 6. • ROYAL ,ASSENT. The LORI) CHANCELLOR, the Marquis Of WINCHESTER, and the Earl of SHAPTSEIWILY, as his Majesty's Commissioners, brought down the Royal Assent to the Exchequer Bills 8,000,0001. Bill ; tha ,Asseseeth Taxes Bill ; the Irish Fisheries Bill; the East India Jurors Bill,; the Bill for Regulating Duties on Pensions; awl several Pri‘ - rate Bills...making in number Eighty-six Bills. 4..•-r CORN. LAWS. The Earl of MALMESBURY finding that some of the im portant Returns tqr which he had moved, had but just been pro ditef,d,, and were not printed, expressed his intention of postponing the motion of which he 113dg-tire!) notice for Monday, to Thursday next. Lord tLLENBOROUGIII saw the . postponement of this ,-mo tion with. the-deepest regret. Ile had never had so unfavourable an opinion of any measures as of those lately introduced by his Majesty's Ministers on the subject of Foreign Corn, and he con ceived that with the views which the Noble Earl (Mulmesbury) himself entertained, he could not have taken a more mischievous step than the postponement of his motion. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that it was not at his request the postponement had been made. Whether Monday or Thurs day he was- ready to enter into the discussion. All he wished was, that that the day should be positively known, and that when once fixed, it should not be altered. It was then decided that the Order of the Day should be dis charged, anti fixed for Thursday' next. Mr.- BLACKUUUNR anti others from. the Commons, brought up ,several Private Bills which were read a first time. COAST BLOCKADE. EarI.DARNLEY saw in the Papers which had been laid on the table, thlit a greater number of seamen were employed in the Coast Blottkade service than be had imagined : he contended, however, that from the nature of that service they finished by losing their ability as seamen. He then read several letters and a paragraph. from the Kentish Gazette, to show the inefficieney of the systeM, and expressed his intention of investigating the sub ject more deeply in the ensuing Session. Viseount 111E1,1qLLE would be prepared for the discussion Adeneier it might please the:Noble Earl' to bring it on. Thu Marvim of V.OSDOWN E presented a petition from the Inlukii,uts of 'ClioiiikCiOss, praying to be beard at their Lord ships, iy.Lr,'h4tiiiiiiettie'Charing-eross lmproVement on the ' BILLS. Mt. lITIOGDEN, and others' frem the Com Mons, brought up - the 'Bill for regulating Bounties on Fish in Ireland; the Bill for'providing County flails and other accommodations for Judges throughout England and Wales ; the Bill to amend the present Custom Laws; and several private Bills, which were read a first time.. - - Mr. en,Virdrit, front the Treasury, brought up an account of the average 'price of wheat in each yel r, from 1670 to the present line.—Laid. On the table, BANKS. The Earl of LIVERPOOL, in rising to move that their .Lordships do agree to the Athendments, made by the Commons in' the Bill cur restraining the exclusive power of the ,Charter of the •Benk of Englund, within a distance of sixty miles from the me trepolin, would briefly state their nature. They appeared exten sive, but were Merely verbal, with the exception of one or two ' , which mere of importance. It had been deemed essential, in con sequence of a communication with those gentlemen who were better informed on the subject than it was expected that their .Lordahina should be, to' introduce a clause giving the Joint Stock .Banks which might be established in the country the power of ap .pointing an agent in London capable of paying their notes, al . though it.Weeld not stand on the fActi of the notes that they were payable in town on demand, This, it was considered, would remove a great ebeterie to the working oldie measure. The other amend ment allowed those banks to stamp their own notes in the . same manner, and under the sante ,obligations as to returning the names of partners, &c. ac the Bank' of England. When the Inc,tiL , as had been be;i>re th,?ir Lordships; inuch had been said of the estahlislviieni of Branch I;anks by the Bank of England, and a Noble Marquis opposite (the Marquis of Lansdowne) hadtuoved elathe„ nhn iFig those, lanks to pay their notes at the places where issued. That chore still coatituted part of the Rill. lie had not been ablaut the time :to say what were the intentions of the Bank of Englaed, with respect. to . the establiahiug of Branch 'Batiks"; but that 'subject had since been submitted to a thorough 'investigation by a Committee of that body, anti ho was authorized to say, that the principle had been completely adopted, anti that it .feed been decided to establish Brandi Banks in certain places. The Bank had not yet determined an to their number, or the places at which they should be, but it had recognised the principle, and at no d . :14,1nt period would find means of conveying to the public all the noCessary, particulars relative to those establishments. It had been Said originally,' that the present Bill was not likely to be effective. Ile had alwn been of a different opinion, and all the information Iced since received from Ireland, where the system had taken root and la. rd, led hiM to hope and expect that if would do the same ii rl,ii country. It had already been ascertained by the 'Committee , opointed to investigate the banking systein, that 'the whok :reulation of Ireland Villl9 now carried on by the Chartered I;:inic and by Joint Stock Establishments, awl that there-Were no private banks except two, one at Beifast, and one ''town of Mallow. Were those Joint Stock eats *l44omb+ well managed the circulation of Ireland would thus 1;4 ph iced on 'a Substantial footing. Though it' :Weal he most inapottant that the Crown should recover the power of granting rilartgs before the expiration of that of the Bank of England, end though it was probable that the power would be recovered before the period, yet there was was no reason to despair of Joint 'Stock Banks :wing established immediately in thin country. .He was 'in feet authorised to state that such banks were now forming, not by new men who had never been engaged in banking before, be/t by respectable banking establishments which knew the busi n4ss welt, and 'joined and combined together. The present Bill therefiire, was 'not likely to he a dead letter. It would be effect mil: immediately to a certain' ettent, and would lay the foundation of •a better Systeth. anew groundS Ik6 waled upon their Lordships to agree to the amendments made by the Commons. Mrtro9llof LANSDOWNE regarded the amendments not only tee improveMents to the Bill, hut as illqiiipentiftble to render it offeetive. The anointment (4. au Agent in Lomion Was mcesiary for the establishment of Joint Stock Companitat, and he isdkved that nude Companies wouldbe- fettled in concurrence and com petition with the Branches of the Bunk of , England: Use. rose chiefly to link the Noble Earl opposite, if lie could state the aniount of the advances made by the Bank to manufacturern and trailers in consequence, of an arrangement concluded tare months ago, by which the Bank was empowered tip advance as far an' three mil lions. This being a private Concern of that Establishment, could not he obtained by a motion ; but if the Noble Earl was in pos- Sili.3ion of the information, he would perhaps have no objection to state the extent of those issues and of the applications for them. The Eerl of LIVERPOOL had been authorized to state what 'the general amount of those MStlei Wll4 ; but before he did so he conceived it his duty to say that the Bank had acted on that oc casion in the moat liberal manner. Deputations from the prin cipal towns had been tent to expreas their sense of the excellent arrangements and most satisfactory mode in which that establish ment hid allotted the sums applied for in. the. manufacturing die-, tricti. • Their- Lordships would perhaps be surprised to learn that the whole amount advanced was under 400,0001. or from t 0 1 ,00,6001. - • • ' ' Tin. Earl of LAUDERDALE was understood to recommend that Joint Stock Banks in, Ireland should have the privilege of appointing-an - rigent in Dublin, AX those to be established in this country would ite allowed to - do in London. : . • The question was then put, and-the Amendments agreed . to. CHARTERED SCHOOLS. The nishop of FERNS, after having referred to mine Papers whirit he had caused to Le laid on the table, - entered into a de tailed bistary of the origin, nature, anti management of Chartered Soliools in Ireland, and defended them against the charges con tained in the Report made by the Committee of Inquiry into the state of Rhwation. He contended that that Report was hasty and enotkous, awl that if it had been maturely considered it would haVe ban very different. Lord KINCI quotisi many fads , in support of the Report, to prove the existenez of great itiattention,.mismanagemeut, and ril34 ItLIVIN. ' The Irish Clergy 'seemed to him to live iu the ri , : , :ket of their duty, the defiance of the law, and the con tempt of their oath. . :\Elrquis of LANi4DOWNF. trusted that after what had I,Aeo ;v,.(l from tiy , lloport, tit had reacher! his Majesty front odkr AO what loi!,itt be collect. ;d frmn the pretended CtNeAlpa tog niter :3 appeal e d to Ly,the Right Rev. Prelate, no in 4;onid he entertained of inaintitinhig those extremely vicious eltaidishments. A real Ml.few Words from Earl DAi t iv V and Viscount Ctn.!) EN, 00 or Tun' and ronarlted, that even in '''';Fflrianithllislments it tv.-. easy to point out deileioncio. lie 4 - 4 4•Ailrei , $ - 491 ,5 V0rt (oily it extenuation, for be must in fairness t44tleetit:neglect and gross' abode had been proved in the matiageinea of 'Chartered Schools in !rang). He hoped that eqr}ii weal& proceed from the present inquiry; that it would u take the Irish clergy more vigilant and active; and that nothing would prejudice the progress of education in Ireland, as there was no kingdom in the world where religious education was more wanted than in that country. The Bills having then been respectively forwarded a stage, the House adjourned at eight o'clock till Monday. HOUSE OF COMMONS.---Fltnuir, MAT B. At -- Ai . a quarter before four o'clock'the Usher .of the Black Bed summoned the House to attend the House -of Lords., The Speakei and Members accordingly proceeded. to :the; House, of . Lords, and on their return, at half-past. four ,teglock,,4q,Spealter acquainted the House with their Lordship' concurrence to serer,Ll Nils, for an account of which see our Report of the House of Lords. Mr. ELLIS preiented a Petition iron, the Shipowners of New castle, praying for a protecting duty on British Mucliant Ships. Ordered to be printed. EXPORTATION OF DIACHINRRY• Mr. HUME rose for the purpose of presenting two Petitions; the one from the Master Machine Makers, and the other from• the Operatives engaged in the same business, at Manchester, praying for a repeal of the law which prevented the exportation of machinery to foreign kingdoms. There were several fo reigners in Manchester, who declared that if machinery, were allowed to be exported, it would prevent the number of work men (who were going abroad, he, Mr. Hume, was sorry to add), from departing from this country. He knew full well there was a prejudic. existing in the breasts of manufacturers, that if machines were allowed to be exported, it would produce a competition with them, which they (the manufacturers) could never excel. It was a distressing fact, that our workthen were proceeding abroad every day, and that the capitals of foreign states were crowded with our workmen, and this materially di minishing our celebrity as machinists every day. This was all owing to the prohibition of the exportation of machinery. He entirely coincided with the petitioners, and hoped that Parliament would repel those laws which prevented machinery from being exported from this kingdom. The country owed a great deal to machine-makers, and he hoped the House would direct their attest , Con towards protecting them. From the evidence on the table of the House there could be collected a fact of great importance, namely, that if the power looms were destroyed that an immense number of hands would be deprived of bread.—(Hear.)—The power-looms were in fact a great source of industry to the coun try, and he hoped that the poor deluded men would he informed that they were going on in a wrong course when ahoy thus de stroyed them. He trusted the House would introduce a Statute similar to his two years ago, which would 'allow a free ex portation of machinery, and that Ministers would withdraw their restriction upon this subject. He did not see why machinery was to be the only merchandise excluded front exportation. Mr. P. GRENF'ELL concurred in the prayer of the petitions. He could speak front practical knowledge, as he knew one manu facturer at Manchester who employed 150 workmen in manufac turing machines, which were not allowed to be sent abroad. He knew very well that there were foreigners who smuggled work men abroad, 'because they could not smuggle machinery. He could : vouch for the fact of there being agents of, foreign maim facturers who were employed to inveigle the work Men abroad, and thus robbing England of her best workmen, and reducing manufactures to a low ebb. During the time of the American war, dovernment thought if they prevented the exportation of copper. bolts, nails, and other articles engaged in ship-building, they would prevent France front rivalling them in their ships— what was the consequence? They seduced our workmen over to Normandy, and established manufactories of these implements, and which manufactories remained up to this hour rival schools with our own. Ile trusted the House would give their serious attention to the Petitions.—The Petitions were brought up, and ordered to be printed. LORD CHIEF JUSTICE NORBURY. Mr. SCARLETT rose to present a Petition from an eminent and Learned Oe ritlenten of the Irish Bar (Mr. 'Daniel O'Connell), which he had received in the course of the last Session, but which, for various realms, he was, then unwilling to present. He had hoped that time, which does much, and that the additional counsel of friends, would have prevented the necessity of its presentation now; but in that expectation he had been disappointed; . and a' sense of public duty now induced him to offer the petition to the notice of the House. The petitioner did taut even complain of the honour or integrity of the Noble .Judge, but his object wee to shun-, from the age and infirmities of, that Leerned Person, that he was no longer fitted to hold the exalted judicial situation which be had held for so many years. The petitioner stated the Noble Lord to be so deaf as to be scarcely able to hear ; that ha frequently laboured under lethargic stupor while presiding on tint Bench ; toil be (the Petitioner) partieolarly referred to one case (a criminal case too) in which the Noble Judge was asleep while the evidence for the defence was ' going forward. The Jury convicted the man against the Noble Judge's charge, but the man was 'iittleiequantly pardoned. (Hear, hear !) The'Learned Gentleman (Mr: -Sear - lett) said he was inductal to present this petition now, as litany 'legal gentlemen from Ireland were present,, and the more an, ae - the petitioner left the truth of h i s statement upon the , issue, that if any Judge in Ireland, or 'any practising - Barrister,' Weald de ' claret openly upon his honour, that the - Noble Judge was- fit for his situation, then, that he (the petitioner) Would altogether give up his object. The petitioner concluded by saying, it was' a dif ficult matter to get others to sign the petition, but that he, feeling he was performing an hottest duty (even though late) did not shrink from it. Thelearned Alember (Mr. Scarlett) said, he did not mean to found all motion on the subject, althditgh no' doubt, it would IWiennetent'fer tuts Member of that House' to bring such a subject undeiits,censileeetion. Ile knew nothing of the Nettle judge,"andliiiithoadd therefore only move; that this petition be brought up. Mr. :GOULBURN said, that as no motion was intended to be founded on this pe; ition, he felt altneet inclined to paea it over in silence. It should be remembered, however, that the petition Was only signed by one individual, however respectable; and princi pally related to the question, at what period of life a Judge may be presumed incapable of exercising his judicial functions.—(No, no.)—For himself he would not pretend to say, what the age was ; but this be knew, that there were ether Judges as old as Lord Norbury, who still continued on the Bench. From his habit of, per,on..l intimacy with the Noble Judge, he could not dieeover ties pA.stesal intirMitiets alluded to; and as to the dis order of his faculties, though 'he (Mr. Cr.) had not the ho nour ,of a being It preetitiensr at the Trash bar, yet be thought he bad evinced unwell to she w that the Noble Lord was not incom petent to the sli,xlsarge of his judicial situation. Previous to his leaving Ireland last, he was influqued that a difficult case had come Olt in Lord :Norbury's Court, that be differed with his three Learoesl Brethren as to the' ; that the case sebsequently came before the ,Twelve Judges, Who decided with' the Noble Lord.— This he (Mr; Geullturn)"thouglit to be sufficient evidence, that the Noble Lord was not incapable of discharging the clothe) of his judicial situation. It might be well, perhaps, to have souse ge neral regulations upon this subject. But until Parliament thought p ro p er to adopt ItiOttle such proceeding, it would he unfair to snake a s,h.eti‘eli:f that Noble Lord; who, whatever obloquy Might hat„ ea,t against hint, never yet had his honour or his inte grity insrached or sullied. llr. 'NORTH said thut the statements contained in the petition were exaggerated, and he hoped that the Noble Lord ,would be contimust in his situation. At. the same time he admitted that he would have better consulted the interests of his own fame, Hite had retired sonic years since. . Mr. Secretary PEEL bore testimony to the unspotted character of the ,Noble Lord, who would have retired before but for the menace of the petition now before the Tlouse. He wished to im press, that when the Noble Lord's retirement would take place, its occurrence would not be occasioned by the petition. The Petition was on the table. . . DUTY ON CORN. • : Lord STANLEY presented a Petition from the Inhabitants of a place in Lancashire, praying for a protecting duty on Corn, and stating that they would be sufferers by any other change in the law. Mr. HUBKISSON opposed the prayer of the Petition ; and as he was on his legs, he took that opportunity of adverting to the observations made Jot night by the Honourable Member for Somersetshire, and cautioning him against giving credence to the information upon which he hail grounded, his State ments. So fur from his having made any communication of the kind i ti tin A ted, be held,in his hand a letter (to which he had not yet.replied), stating the great advantage which would result from the purchase of bonded grain by Government; and that the foreign wheat was now at 6d. That letter was written on the Tuesday, and on the fellowing Saturday the returns of the Liverpool Corn Market showed the prices to have been from 4s, to 4s, Ikre,WaS a depression of three pence p er bushel in the market. The accounts went'further to say, that the transac tions in bonM wheat and flour were unimportant, and the prices low. He hill in his harid a paper of yrsterday's date, which con tained lik e returns for Tuesday, - and stated that foreign wheat and flour contimird to be dull at the last quotations. He would put these dfuturnitilti" into the .Bands of the Honourable ,Baronet, that he might show them to his autherity for the statements he had made ; and' he hoped that he (Mr. llttskisson) now stood no. quitted in the estimatWn of the House.-- (Lond, cheers, and cries of assent.) Sir T. LETHBRIDGE said, that the explanation of the Right Hon. Gentleman was Lull and s,:ti,factary ; anti certainly to be preferred to the authority on which he (Sir T. Lethbridge) spoke. At the same time be was bound to state his conviction that the person who gave him the information believed that what he said was a fact.—The Petition was then ordered to be printed. Mr. HEATHCOTE'presented a petition from certain Inha bitants of Boston, , stating that they Were holders of English corn to a considerable amount ; and that after the repeated declarations of Government,•and on the faith of thelanswer made by the Right 'Hon. President of the Board of the Board-of Trade to the Mem ber for Shaftesbury, they had entered into such engagements as would be ruinous to their property if any change were made in the Corn Laws. The Hon. Member said that the petitioners, who were every way competent judges, attributed the public dis tress which prevailed to a want of faith and' credit throughout the country, and the dearness of provisions, or the difficulty of procuring food. Mr. LEYCESTER mid, that though the Petitioners were over-nice in some of their complaints, they had yet reason to object to the low duty on corn, which was of no real advantage to the country, and only went to put money in the pockets of certain individuals at the expence of the Chancellor of the Ex chequer and of the Petitioners. Sir J. SEBRIGHT was apprehensive that the lowering of the price of corn, if it even affected the price of bread to the amount of a halfpenny, or one penny per loaf, would not reach the sources of the present distresses in any very perceptible de gree. Want of employment was their genuine source. He con sidered 12s. a quarter no adequate protection to the British corn grower, and he could not refrain from now expressing his un feigned and deep regret that a blow, such as that meditated by the Right Hon. Gentleman against the agriculturists, should have proceeded from an Administration which, more than any Ministry for many years, in his. opinion, merited the gratitude and confidence of the people of this country.—(Mr. Canning bowed.—Cheers.)—The Petition was ordered to be printed. LORD C. SOMERSET. Mr. BEAUMONT gave notice that on Monday next he should bring up a petition, co . utainihr, .charges of alleged malversation by an aggrieved individual 40* the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, Lord Charles Sornerect. THE CORN LAWS. Mr. Secretary CANNING' moved the House should go into a Committee of the whole House on the subject of the Corn Laws. Sir T. LETHBRIDGE rose to 'withdraw any further opposi tion to the Speaker's leaving the Chair, In order to make way for thellight Hon. Gentleman to state in a more Convenient manner in Committee the specific object which Government intended to effect, and the means to be milk. that purpose,Teserving to him sels perfect liberty to'contot both the principle and the details of the measure in the Comthittee. . . ' Mr. CALCIWT .was not indisposed to let the Right Hon. Gentleman expinin:ht:s objects in a Committee, tho Ugh he hoped that even there aT deimled "awl' stubborn 'opPosition would be made to the principle of interference in this nianner by a side-Wind with the Corn Laws. He felt disposed to meet Ministers .half way, if they'would consent to back out of the course they had rashly pro posed to themselves, and agree to enter into the Corn Laws at length, and examine the subject in all its bearings. The House went into a Committee. • Mr. Secretaty CANNING said, though perfectly satisfied that he. was performing a. duty imperatively imposed on hiM by his official situation, still he felt it a matter of greet courtesy that the Hon. Baronet, and those who supported that 'Hon. Baronet, should have waived their oppoSition to the Speaker's leaving the Chair, so as to enable him -to open this question and explain the objects °flits Majesty's Government in a more convenient form. Before he proceeded to lay before the Committee the resolution on which be intended to found that regulation by a Bill which Was thought necessary to meet a possible - emergency, he shOuld proceed to clear away some of the objections with which the measure had been already combatted. The more general objec tion to the whole of the promeding might be supposed to throw considerable blame on the promoters of this measure, and he therefore' felt anxious in a more than ordinary degree to repel the • charge levelled against his Majesty's Alinisters of a breach of faith, as teethe assurance given am the occasion of. the debate on the proposition of the Honourable Member for Bridgnorth, rela tive to the Corn Laws, to which such frequent refereece had been Made by many Hon. Maenbers Who opposed the modification sug gested. The opinion then given by Ministers, that this was not the Convenient time 14• the Legislature to change the system of our Corn Laws for some other, was the opinion of his Majesty's Government still; and if there were any one, reason more strong than another why the Committee should embrace the Resolution, it was, that it enabled the House to adopt that which circum stances rendered expedient, and at the same time postpone the dia cussion on'the generel question of the Corti Laws to another Ses sion. Ile admitted that if any thing had been alone by Ministers to commit ,themselves as to the prevailing prejudices of the landed inters: ts, - Or any thing which had even that tendency, it might have been 'considered something approachin3 to a breach of faith. But his.siocete. opinion was, and he hoped he would be able to induce many of his opponents to adopt the same conclusion, that the pro position had been made with a view to the interests of that class whielr Was most alermed, at .the change meditated. In the ,exieftnee of,ettch strew; . persoea,lprejudice, he entreated they would give hint credit liar a docent intention to consult the inte reste. of. tabl e but endeeetly, load in the first, rank, the interests .of the agrieultaitte. thi ng Ise was most anxiutas to do, away with, i n , t h e .fi r4 04", vi ) ic,4 was, that a c h ange , opinion had taken place in his Majesty's Government. An allueku toe, had beem-eneeektoieoolflAPM*Pl which it bid b een sa id esca p e d front hisliglittalieitsiffil344WfaClAlf..t.4 a queNtl,94 from, the lion. Member for Shaftesbury, namely, that the bonded corn was. nut to : be rneddled,with4his Session. Of the fact he was not aware, not being presentelleMgVit Inuetike.4l4litkA that the best manner h e could have :Met themkery, wlnetbot the, Hon, Metnber were a ,:tii ated by a blameless curiosity or &Irina tat s.erv e those interests he had espoused, would have been T6' avoid givi ng an answer e i t h er in the affirinietive or' negative. ISt Hon. Gentleman could not be so innocent but that he must have known ,that the . result of an explicit answer, by a :Minister in that house bad been often known to have enhanced the price . of some important article 'as much as '5Ol. per cent. 'He had himself witnessed some cases of that description; and. he must say that in • questions relative to a large quantity of corn waiting to be thrown into the public stock, if considered advisable, it would. not have been .the duty of a Mi nister, where the answer—Aye, Might depreciate A commodity 201. per cent., and the answer---Nd, might raise it 201. pet:cent. to have given an answer, however pressed, conveying any, distinct and de finite meaning or information ; anal least of all, if it were probable that information might hereafter be turned against himself or his lle had, he now hoped, relieved many who heard him, from two impediments to the fair discussion of that .resolution should now propose . The proposition first, in _order before the House was, to let out the bonded corn at a certain duty. With out asseuming that it was right, he Would observe that the ac count of the decision of the house, respecting the resolution pro posed on Tuesday, had only appeared in. print in the Wed neielay in - Liverpool, and letters had been received to-day from persons of high respectability, not politically connected With him, stating that already there had appeared.some little imprOvement in the town of Manchester ; and that in consequence of the news of the - recent intentions of Ministers, cotton, which had been so much depreciated, was not to be had under an advance in price of five per cent. If this measure is carried into effect, nothing, can occur so clearly to convince us, that Government is disposed to do every thing which will finally tend to alleviate the distress now felt. Another letter to his Right Honourable Friend • said, this account relative to the bonded corn, had altered the aspect of things, and led the merchants to hope that it must naturally be sold at a comparatively low price : it had already relieved the cotton from its depression of price and . must produce good. - This WAS a flattering result from the first effect of a measure like this which he trusted would be augmented as 'to its beneficial effect if the second resolution were adopted to-night. If he were to infer that the present Corn Laws ought to be the permanent law of the country, or td argue that in the present state of public anxiety and excesaive excitement it would be proper to take up the measure of a broad and general reform, then indeed it might be said that his opinion had undergone a change. But it was not changed, nor should he consent to enter into the discussion as to fixing any permanent principle with reference to the Corn Laws. Thinking. as he did that the Corn Laws _must undergo some revision, , and not hearing any one bold enou g h t o say that the syetem should remain as the permanent law of the country, he would ask, would it be wise or expedient that the system should be acted upon to its. fullest extent? It hap pened, from circumstances, that it never had been pushed to its extreme: the duty of Government then was to devise, at wine san: period, - asystem which should he less objectionable._ It had been said, why had the change been recommended, as well might it be asked, why had the facts which occasioned it oc curred. -• When the Hon. Member for ,Bridgno r th' s mot i on ctune, on, ther e had been by general confession threes weeks con tinned rise of p r i ce ; since then three weeks more of rise. The character of the harvest and its postponement . as to time of reaping, might be productive of very important changes and • effects on soci e t y , so muc h so, that this country might by the lateness of the harvest be obliged to live for fourteen months on that which was only equal to the consumption of twelve months. Here were elements which eertainly changed the 'views of his Majesty's Ministers as to the expediency of - a temporary mea sure to meet such a difficulty. The dread of famine entertained iu 1816 was effected by the change of atmosphere all in one night, and the hope of a fine harvest on the Monday became a perfect blight on the Wednesday. Was the conduct then pur sued by Government vacillation, or must a change of conduct in the , present' 'Administration. to meet a temporary difficulty, though:, it touched no principle, he denounced a vacillation . in Sentiment? . 1766, during.. the popular administration of Lord Chatham and Loed ! c e eneelen, Ithee Ministers moved, by a sincere desire, .to consule.the e seekeelpOli e and avert the danger of apprehended scarcity,. actually guapended the export of corn. Parliament, when it met, wasethseene.of violent heat and angry debate as to the conduit of'Mirtieters,ethough all felt it to be right as to its object. Ww - the storm of that day to prove no warning to the Government• of this day? The latter were told they : should have acted on their reSponsibility as Ministers of the CroWn, when the alternative contemplated arrived, and then come down to the Legislature and ask for an indemnity. If Par liament had not been sitting, so undoubtedly he would ; but when he saw with What spirit the proposition, which, after all was only dependent on a contingency, was received there, and that it was looked on as a sin against the landed interest, and co cha tacterized by the friends of restriction in that House—whet pro bability was there of the House, should Ministers have done that at which they only now hint the poezibility, opening their arms to his Majesty's Gnvernmentiwith the boon of an indemnity.— (Loud cheers.)—Were not these indications which ought to warn Ministers of what might await them in such an alternative ? To be sure it had been a well.known feet that there had been a continual rise in prices for six weeks. But that was nothing, and should, they now say, occasion no apprehension.— But had they acted on their own responsibility, would not Ministers be taunted with this, and perhaps asked whether the rise in price of provisions had not clearly been con nected with the distress which might thus have arisen ? Hence prudence pointed out the only elternative for Ministers to follow, was to obtain during the Session the sanction of the House for the exercise of that discretion. After what they all witnessed to-night was there any doubt that instead of being heard with acclamations, they would haide been scouted for having set the Parliamedt at defiance.—(Loud cheers.)—He would now ask, was there any reason to apprehend, that in the event of their obtaining an act of authorization, the remedial effect of the mea sure would he less prompt or more dangerous. It was .rather a novelty to hint that a British Minister, in asking the sanction cf the House, deserved to he considered guilty of a crime ; and the charge then against Ministers would resolve itself into this, that they exercised the privileges of the 'Crownieunder the sanction of an Act of Parliament. There wets no analogy, some would say; between this case and that of the year 1766. - So, said Iw, there the alarm had arisen after Parliamene had separat ed ; here pending the sitting of Parliament ; ,could not the coun try Gentlemen retort this-with peculiar proprietyent the Ministers • of the preilent 'der, and say, you had the warning before the recess, why not consult Parliament ?—( Hear, hear!)—lf the Proposition were rejected, no blame rested with his Majesty's • Government, and on their heads be the guilt, and let them an swer for the possible consequences of tying up Ministers' hands who may refuse to give the measure their sanction.—(Cheers.) — The, price of corn might rise perhaps to 80s. ; would the result he less alarming because the Corn Laws were suffered to go to their fullest operation before any remedial measure were adopted ? Would the House then be in a. better temper to discuss the pro ' priety of Ministers' conduct than now ? Was it not clearly for the interest of landed proprietone, to interpose between them and the public at large in such a state of things? With this view he intended to propose a resolution, ‘! that it appeared to the Com mittee expedient that it should be lawful for his Majesty's Go-; vernment, by an order of his Majesty, assisted by his Privy Octm cil, for a time to be limited, to senction the introductien of foreign corn into these pints, subject to certain duties, to be agreed 'on by an Act passed for that purpose, 'and subject to certain regulations to be contained therein." This resolution would have a reference both to the state of the price of corn, and adopt a limitation as to the quantity to be imported. He had not lost sight of the objections made, one of an Hon.Member,who had argued within his mind that 12s. Was too little a duty to act . us a protection; nor of another, who argued that the increase was awrong one,aa though that'measure were intended at all to last ; or of a third still more reasonable hope ex pressed, that the duty of 12a. should be the minimum of duty. Now it was contended by some, that Government should propose that the import should not be permitted until corn had arrived at 655. per quarter. Now he felt a very strong objection to this, be cause it would have the effect not logically, but in the popular conviction, of fixing the future price of corn at 655. per quar ter or thereabouts, which he wished altogether to, avoid.' Hero the price would not form the sole criterion of discretion to his Majesty's Ministers. Indeed at a flourishing period of indus try and art, it might be found that the labouring ellicreehettihionnang exer cised ily e fo m r p , l ,o o r y i e , i could jene e not e aff l o te r s d oi e u v ti et o i n to w i o nt u y id at lim a i h t ig th h e er 5 e F s cieed to nothing but the quantity. In the next Session it would be found that the temporary measure would have effected its pur pose without leaving, with respect to the principle of the Corn Laws, any sting behind.—(Loud cheers. )—There was a 'possibilite , t to import liely t 5 , 0 1 0 )6 ,0 9 0 n 0 , h q sai ; : a i e hh r ee s rv , ee : r which, via kn t e l on ed t pf t la o arce n e ' x l i i x7 a t might that.the limitation as to quantity would not exceed a permission recollection,ta their h i e i a 1 suppos edfol t e t4 hC i aTticipaied that soon after the warehouses would be l l a n rg t - h es il t importation emptied, they would be again full so as to secure a supply in Case of necessity. •If the Resolutions were - agreed to, then he should propose the introduction of a Bill to this effect, " that whereas. by an • Act !of this . Semion, which had permitted the use of foreign grain, corn, meal, end flour, in warehpuses, in this country on the 2d of May, 1826, for home consumption; and whereas it they be expedient under intense circumstances to procure a sup ply of foreign corn, be it enacted that it shall be lawful to his Majesty, with .the assent of his Privy . Council, to admit the entry for home consumption of such foreign wheat, meal, or flour, to home consumption, to an amount not exceeding 500,000 quarterii, provided that such corn should be imported within two Months of the date of such Order in Council, and shall not be let loose subsequently .for home consumption after the ex piration of two months, or permitted to be imported or en tered in the ports of this kingdom, except on payment of such duties as shall be hereafter specified and agreed to."—(Hear!) He forbore specifying what that price should be, lest it should have the effect he wished so much to avoid, namely, that of fixing the price in future. All that would be required for the security of the Agricultural interest would be effected by limiting the precise quantity which might be imported. He had no doubt that by this means, if necessary to be acted on, there would be always a supply equal to our wants during the recess of Parliament. He trusted, that after what had been now stated, he and his col leagues would be absolved from all imputation of bad faith. The nieasure thus also provided against all possible contingency of scarcity in future, or excessive high price. Whether what his Majesty's Ministers had done were strictly right and objectionable he would not contend ; but he must conclude by observing, that unless they had made this appeal to the sense of the House for its sanction, • they would not have done their duty to the public, nor would they in the event of exercising hereafter that power vested in them by the proposed Bill, be absolved from the serougi.ai respon sibility to exercise that diseretion reposed in them with foresight and a due regaed to circuuistanees. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded with the Resolution already detailed in the body of its speech, and sat down amidst loud cheers. Mr. C. WILSON supported the motion, on the ground that some such arrangement was necessary to prevent the possibility of any aggravation of the present distress. Suppose that his income, as a landed proprietor, should be reduced for this year—eauppose even that lie should be compelled to live as his ancestors bad done, what was the value of that consideration to be placed in Competition with the subsistence of millions and the tranquillity of the coun try. He felt that he was doing his duty in giving his hearty sup port to the inotion. Sir T. LETHBRIDGE was not satisfied by the ingenious and fascinating speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman. His rea soning was founded , upon probability and conjecture, and not upon fact. No reason hod been given why the concurrence of circumstances was probable, whizli would render the possession of that discretionary power sought by the present Bill necessary. H e could not on these circumstances Consent to give it hie support. The proposal modified, as be now understood it, to the extent of 500,000 quarters of wheat, was certainly less objectionable than that to invest Ministeri with an unlimited diScretion. He -col lected from the speech of the R i g ht Hon. Gentlemen that 65 e. was the price at which they would 'feel themselves called u pon to use the discretionary powere th ey now sou g ht. ' If this w as to he considered a lieesti a price which or taken place since 1822. justified imp ortat i on, agn;sder great ted change Mr. PORTMAN, as the Representative of a county entirely agricultural,' was desirous of expressing his opinion upon this subject. He professed himself unable ao discover any just grounds for vesting this discretionary power in Ministers ' yet he co uld not take upon himself . the responsibility of refusing it. The Government of England was a responsible body, and he cast back Upon' them the'responSibility which , they' seemed desirous to '"transfer to the Landed Interest. He did not think the country was in it proper state at present for that discussion, which ought to be pursued with the utmost calinneio and &IN-ration, and which could lead to ne setisfactory result, unlees introduced under the sanction and responsibility of Administration.--e(Clieers.) • Mr. H. SUMNER 'denied the existence of any grounds of alarm with regard to the supply of food. It was only the other day that the Right Hon. Gentleman had declared this to be air • improper season for the agitation of anyquestion connected with the Corn Laws, and he knew of nothing that had taken place e since that time to alter the Right Hon. Gentleman's opinion. The only change of circumstances was, that the distress which equally existed when that opinion was given bad since exhibited itself in acts of outrage. The Right Hon. the President of the Board of Trade was averse to the principle of the Corn Laws, and therefore lie availed himself of evezy opportunity to trench upon them. The manufacturers were not in want of corn, but in want of employment. If wheat was at ls. a bushel, they would not be able to buy it. The mischievous tendency of the proposition was to set the manufacturers and the agriculturists by the ears. Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that since he had a seat in Parlia ment, no question had ever been agitated in which he felt a deeper interest than in the present. He declared, that if the subject which bad been introduced on the 18th of last month by the Honourable Member for Bridgnorth were rto be decided now, he should vote again precisely as he 'had done upon that °cos aion. With all the additional information he bad since obtained, with all the experience he now had, with the imputation of in-, consistency fully in his view, he was so sensible of the impor tance of that subject, and so coavinced that the present was not a season in which it could be adequately or advantageously dis cussed, that he would again vote against the settlement of so important a queetion at the present time. He saw no incon sistency in the conduct of Ministers. They, tensible of the pres sure which the country now laboured under, and foreseeing the possibility that contingencies might arise in which the possession of the discretionary power they now sought, would be essential to the public welfare, laid the case candidly before Parliament and appealed to their confidence. The Hen. Member for Dorset had very properly said that he would cast the resionsibility open Ministers. They were willing to accept that responsibility. 1 1 " Hon. Friend, the Member for Surrey, accused them of ineoreis tency for bringing forward this pfoposition, after having resisted' the motion of the Hon. Member for Bridgenorth. What was the vote he would ask of his Hon. Friend last year, when it was pro posed to free the bonded corn then in the warehouses ? Mr. H. SUMNER intimated that he had not voted for that measure. Mr. Secretory PEEL resume,l. At least his Hon.. Friend hail not resisted the proposal. The. object of that measure .tear to favour the agriculturists, and to prevent the opening of the Then helcalled upon the landed interest, in fairness and consistency, to support the motion. He was not adverse to tile, landed interest. He was deeply interested in the prosperity of agriculture. The Hon. Gentleman had advanced an argument which lie rhtist be permitted to'derieribe as a most extraordinary one. He said that the price of _corn was of no importance to the persons now Suffering diStress, since whatever that price might be, they had no' money to pnrchase it. Did he then ima gine that them were only two chases in this country. That the country was divided into two extremes—that of affluence and of extreme poverty? Was there no intermediate class which me rited consideration ? But with respect even to those who were now unable to procure an adequate supply of flied, ,was the price of provisions of no importance to them ? How we're they 06° supported? Perhaps by the voluntary contributions' of the Isr fluent. But what wretchd sophistry it wes to argue that the price of corn was of no importance to them, when upon that de pended how far these contributions would go? 'He would 84 ' stain from any afflicting details, hut the situation of the o' oo ' must have impressed itself upon the feelings of entry man. Vis' u the same grounds as the House voted the other night for the ad mission of bonded corn, they 'were called upon to agree to the present motion. The duty now to be charged upon the corn au., mitted, would furnish no precedent to govern the House wh en A t " became its duty to establish a permanent system. The duty fire d last year was only 101., this year it was 12s. per quarter. The r o e could be no precedent on this fluctuating duty. It had been said that 500,000 quarters was a very considerable quantity; but the proposition did not go to the admission of that quantity; If 200,000 quarters or any smaller quantity should be sufficient' no more than that would be admitted. The quantitY s ta . ed was nota quantity,positively to be admitted. It was the ' ll ,: c r . mum quantity that, D iu any circumstances, could be Om' He now came to the charge that they had been compelled to n a l a troduce this measure as a sort-of conLesssion to the clamours_ of b. infatuated mob. (Hear, hear !) • On this he should rotp!lYid serve, that there were two sees of courage, one vo rt migh to consist in refusing to make' i anmpreper Cenceesion, an d ono e the ragefea Govern riated mob can do nothing fn influence the measures 0 W ight 140 I OU'et, a moral t th he er co h i t is,.. p4ri ne isti nem: ng to(dcohlerehn,a.t)Wl;iillgiibeviet, Idioastriaiter what ment. There was in this country a suPe-- - r b f orce a nd But efunrlerg. of asiaillii,cifiuenritataetdallimiltimtipestiltoc. pu(ectlllocewrinnttz.hnleoupt.l he was happy to add,' that the disturbances i rl here he could not districts were nearly at an entl-'--(chears)—afu erpeatione pass over those runroura in the newsoPe rs ° the 'ce oral listurbed districts, to him to send military ass e s tarce into and of certain censures on the would their alleged' - the refusal to supply th a t Im iganee. wlEit is r e, „ ie House think when he said, that nit such epplleatior fo 'r House not wantes litary aid were ever made to him—in fact it seas , cite for he himself, induced by an observation ef the coti o r t i,rittino, cuntstances and en appreherision of distrees, and co :I n t f g e . c ) tri ring had, four mouths before that period increased the !Iv' so that he in those districts to a number double that of last edits or re . could boldly say that no such applientione were (leg " fused.—(Hear.) —For as to the succeesful outrages of ve that a tude against power-looms, the House would easily pereel eeae . very few persons might in a few minutes be able s t() desttrY T ', fee . tity of that sort of machines,- (which is made of castero ) s , cei e devernteent fe,r, miles distant from Military station. If then the House 1 . r,, t think proper to pass the Resolution of his Rt. llon.Friend, let it pot be thought for a 'Moment that they did it under the influeure intimidation. But let it also be known, that though they we solved to bri e gto trial and justice the criminal promoters of riot, , sl l l , l thatleir and all the power of the Government, still also ready to pitY ready to suppress such tumultuary violence, with all the rigour of 13 , hors acknowledge that the . great majority of the people base eve privations, and to relieve their necessities—and equally their severe privations with the most admirable patience.--( u t h e ing.)—For iustauce, in the cloth manufacturing distrieteeerer pressure of want has been very urgent , yet in those places w . l e 3 ere heard of no disturbances of public tranquillity: Though let may have been partial excesses in one quarter of the country, us not be deterred from our , resolves by such a consideration ,upr us `be-hold enough to execute them, against unfounded 'imp eta ; m —(Cheering.)---His Hon. Friend,' the Member for Svtirre eat said that the admission of foreign grain, by redwing th e r he of corn, would tend to increase the poor rates. I ‘ l ° l ',„ e t should rather think, that it would tend to reeluce th e 3m • t h of them. The poor rates were, in truth, encumbered ‘vitlay much of their burden in consequence of the present system' lo measure that can affect the increase of the Poor Rates , is s leo ing to the poor, and relief to the country ; but, etrid h ig ed 00 Friend, you have no facts to sum - Sort' yin our etteuree—Y° ° ; e e ons mere contingencies--true, they wished to provide again st t their tingencies of the future, but in doing; - so guided by state experience of the past.—(Cheers.)—lle held in his hand a rem . mcmt of the prices of a great many ditfereet articles lest Y 6lt a t eed pared with their present: prieesee' , :sFrom this shwa-rept it 1 4 Pl' ee e. that corn was the only article which ,bad not.undergooc 4 11°1 . 0 0 ous fall. This appeared to him to be aim indication that therr i v i " re e e e a superabundance aeons in the country. August 1 8115 '_ t e c i'd. to of cotton was from pirle to 12d., per lb., it, was now from. _ co l a sd. ; Pernambuco was then 18d. to feol. ; it had expel;: era s decline of 100 per cent., and.. was now pd. to 10d. ; V ita f a ilea then 84s. to SGs. per cwt., now , . :484. to Us. ; ta lloe from 70s. to SOs. ;, rum froof 28,24. per gallon to Is.. from 445. per cent. to 325. ,Whilst, this great redueti""e ete of price of all other_ commodities,_ wbe*lter Produced by the the currency, or by ,whatever cause, was going on, 6'relleoee fallen but little. The prime( wheat poet: 'e'er was 67% a l !_. a ei it• was 60 s. • Other descriptions of ,'rain fwd only fallen i t t ) , eat miler proportion. This he thought was a proof that 0 a i m abundance of corn was in the eountry . meaeure anticipatiou of a twine, it w a as to guard gain,t sarisa Pos"'w e theo u • vance of price es might greatly agg,ravate the pree , tge Iwo-- law, try. It was a great delusion to suppose that, under the Free. I.(ite foreign corn wasadiniseible whenever the price of sot, ol d to 80s. per quarter., It might rise to 100 s. or 12 0 s. per quarte r i , l2 e e foreign corn not yet he atimiseit le, It de a pareled upon ..ituu,in,t, avers es which would not be ascertainol till 'Ti" 15th oL:og There was no Etta to the price of cc.ro -miring the in i T e a time. The object of tie: proposed luesetue then seas to K eees i o n curity which the Corn Laws did not give. lie saw an exP ie b on the countenance of Hon. illetitlier for Northampton ,v nt,tnc e he `had just e.xpreeeed thr the purose of urp.jug the t r i t i a no t led him to cenjeture that would avaiThimSelf of the sideration of the main question of the Corti Laws. e w e : A & to anticipate that intentien if it existed, :ss be thought it l ee , x r!' e eyo keep the present subject entirely separate from that moor subject. If, however, the consideration of that large oeeie'beri-oe ant question sh , !;!;lbn pretsied upon the liaise, be'Sll. l l l 7, o f the 'any thing ebill4 c . usure Pared to resist it, end still 'to' maintobt - the poet d e" l'eeratioo. : minor and temporary ittrangerift`nt'" v Tin -er crnis !' 'on t, be the year on the - great gnestion of adoption of the prt,seut measure. It Was the duty ()I G u yer cons 0 if they saw a prebability of such a rise in the price for 0.4 a fair' a th n 6 4 ' ( ' )o lt rtt " L 'i rws te it th w geuoussidi would produce great public distress, to apply to Parham ent ~